Astronomy Day 2009 with McDonald Observatory!
International Year of Astronomy
April 28-30, 2009

Program content development is funded in part by the Amon G. Carter Foundation.
Astronomy Day 2009 IYA Videoconferences are funded by Michael R. Levy and The Meyer Levy Charitable Foundation.
Thank you!

On April 28, 29, and 30, 2009, Region 11 Connect2Texas, and the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory invite students and their teachers across Texas to celebrate Astronomy Day and the International Year of Astronomy 2009 during this special interactive videoconference program. This year, Astronomy Day from McDonald Observatory means more than ever. 2009 has been declared the International Year of Astronomy. Worldwide, IYA celebrates 400 years of scientific inquiry and astronomical research from the rudimentary telescope Galileo used, to space based telescopes of our day. We hope that our Astronomy Day videoconference will excite your students about science and technology. We've designed our videoconference sessions to align with TEKS for grades 4-8. Videoconference sessions last 50 minutes and are planned for morning and afternoon classes. Morning and afternoon sessions contain different content; however, all sessions include a brief activity, a Q/A period with facilitator Marc Wetzel and McDonald Observatory astronomer Rachel Fuechsl, and real-time telescope observations of crescent Venus (for morning sessions only) or the crescent Moon (for afternoon sessions only). Register for both!

To see pre/post conference tips, activities and required student activity sheets, please select your time of day carefully:

Morning videoconferences
9:00 - 9:50 A.M.
10:00 - 10:50 A.M.

Afternoon videoconferences
1:00 - 1:50 P.M.
2:00 - 2:50 P.M.

Resources and information about MORNING videoconferences only

9:00 - 9:50 A.M.
10:00 - 10:50 A.M.

MORNING Pre-Conference activities: The videoconference will be most meaningful for students whose teachers have "set the stage" for inquiry before the experience. These pre-conference suggestions are designed to identify prior knowledge and misconceptions about astronomy and observatories.

Introduction to Morning Videoconference: This sheet includes a time line for the teacher to prepare for the videoconference, and additional important information. It also includes behavior expectations for the students.

Morning Pre-conference Student Assessment: Please have each student complete the simple Solar System sheet. This same sheet is included below as a Post-conference assessment for comparison.

To learn more about McDonald astronomers and their research projects, the telescopes and the instruments astronomers use when doing research, visit our What Are Astronomers Doing website.

Activity sheets for MORNING Videoconferences:

MORNING Post-Conference activities: You can enrich your students learning experience by doing our suggested post-conference activities. These activities are designed to provide linkage between the videoconference and your classroom science program. The related TEKS are listed for each activity.

Morning Post-conference Student Assessment: Students (all grades) should complete the post-assessment sheet for comparison with their pre-assessment sheet.

Modeling the Night Sky
Scale Models (volume and distance): Two "mystery" Solar System objects
Scale Models (size and distance): The Solar System
Solar System Science
Solar System Scale Model (distance) - TEACHER
Solar System Scale Model (distance) - STUDENT

StarDate Guide to the Solar System

The StarDate Solar System Guide is a perfect resource for students and teachers. Featured are the latest full color photographs of the Sun, Moon, planets, asteroids, and meteors and simple, jargon-free summaries and fact sheets.

Visit McDonald Observatory with your Students

Interested in bringing students to McDonald Observatory? We offer a TEKS-based informal program for students that includes pre-visit and post-visit activities. To learn about and request a Student Field Experience program, visit our Student Field Experience Program website.

National Astronomy Day Site

Check out the National Astronomy Day Site from the Astronomical League.

Resources and information about AFTERNOON videoconferences only.

1:00 - 1:50 P.M.
2:00 - 2:50 P.M.

AFTERNOON Pre-Conference activities: The videoconference will be most meaningful for students whose teachers have "set the stage" for inquiry before the experience. These pre-conference suggestions are designed to identify prior knowledge and misconceptions about astronomy and observatories.

Introduction to Afternoon Videoconference: This sheet includes a time line for the teacher to prepare for the videoconference, and additional important information. It also includes behavior expectations for the students.

Afternoon Pre-conference Student Assessment: Please have each student complete the simple Moon sheet. This same sheet is included below as a Post-conference assessment for comparison.

To learn more about McDonald astronomers and their research projects, the telescopes and the instruments astronomers use when doing research, visit our What Are Astronomers Doing website.

Activity sheets for AFTERNOON Videoconferences:

AFTERNOON Post-Conference activities: You can enrich your students learning experience by doing our suggested post-conference activities. These activities are designed to provide linkage between the videoconference and your classroom science program. The related TEKS are listed for each activity.

AFTERNOON Post-conference Student Assessment: Students (all grades) should complete the post-assessment sheet for comparison with their pre-assessment sheet.

Modeling the Night Sky
Scale Models (volume and distance): Two "mystery" Solar System objects
Scale Models (size and distance): The Solar System
Solar System Science
Solar System Scale Model (distance) - TEACHER
Solar System Scale Model (distance) - STUDENT

StarDate Guide to the Solar System

The StarDate Solar System Guide is a perfect resource for students and teachers. Featured are the latest full color photographs of the Sun, Moon, planets, asteroids, and meteors and simple, jargon-free summaries and fact sheets.

Visit McDonald Observatory with your Students

Interested in bringing students to McDonald Observatory? We offer a TEKS-based informal program for students that includes pre-visit and post-visit activities. To learn about and request a Student Field Experience program, visit our Student Field Experience Program website.

National Astronomy Day Site

Check out the National Astronomy Day Site from the Astronomical League.